Geraldine Pedersen and her dog Marlow were traveling on U.S. Highway 71 when a tree fell in front of the car and high winds knocked the car into a yard.

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Christmas included cleaning up damage from a nasty storm for some in Central Louisiana after a system brought heavy winds and rain, knocking out power to thousands Tuesday as families had gathered to celebrate the holiday.

A spokesman for the National Weather Service in Lake Charles told The Town Talk that someone would be in the area today to assess whether the storm was a tornado or straight-line damaging winds.

Thirty-four tornadoes were reported in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama during the outbreak Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. ...